You're My Loveprize in the Mirror Universe
by J Unleashed
Summary: Takaba is still typical Takaba and Asami is still VERY much Asami; however, Asami is the photographer and Takaba is the crime lord in this revised version of the Viewfinder series.
1. Chapter 1

~With sincere apologies to Yamane-sensei (who owns the rights to the Finder series)... and also to Takaba-kun.

**. .**

**. . . . .**

Acting on a tip, sexy photojournalist Asami Ryuichi takes a series of photographs of a corrupt politician taking a bribe from a night club manager. Asami doesn't care much for politicians and he particularly detests the corrupt kind.

**. . . . .**

A few days later Kirishima Kei, Administrative Assistant extraordinaire, hands a file containing photos to businessman and Crime Lordling, 23-year-old Takaba Akihito. "Sir, the manager of Club Sion was caught bribing a government official in front of the club and a photojournalist managed to get pictures of the transaction. Now we have cops sniffing all around the place."

"Wait... that dude did this at MY club? In FRONT of my club?!" Takaba rolls his eyes. "What an idiot. Honestly, I'm surrounded by nothing but idiots! What bonehead hired that manager?"

Kirishima hesitates momentarily, "You did, sir."

Takaba looks at Kirishima, surprised. "I did? Are you sure?"

Kirishima nods. "You said you wanted to take care of all the hiring yourself. I think you're overdoing it, sir. I wish you'd let me take on more duties."

Takaba considers this for a moment, "True... you were hired to be my Administrative Ass... thingy." Kirishima winces.

Takaba brightens, "Okay, then please take care of this business for me. You and Suoh go cut off some part of the body that the manager values. Like maybe... HIS HEAD!"

Kirishima enthusiastically turns to fellow lackey, Suoh Kazumi. "You heard what he said! Let's get to work."

Suoh frowns, "Can't we just shoot him? I hate getting my hands dirty."

Takaba is engrossed in looking at the photos in the file and is not paying attention. He waves them away, "Whatever."

Suoh takes out a gun and loads a clip into it. He and Kirishima exit the office. Takaba pulls a large photo out the file of Asami Ryuichi, age 35, looking damn sexy! He studies it and grins. "I bet you think you're a bad-ass for targeting my stuff, don't you? I'm gonna have to take you down a notch."

**. . . . .**

A few nights later in an alleyway, Kirishima and Suoh have caught and restrained photographer Asami Ryuichi . "If this is about those photos, they never made it to publication. You're wasting your time... and mine... by coming after me."

Kirishima shrugs, "It's nothing personal. We get paid to follow orders."

"And the Boss ordered us to kick your ass," Suoh adds.

Asami thinks for a second. "I see. So, I could conceivably offer you money and you'd go kick his ass for me?"

"How much...?" both Kirishima and Suoh both reply at the same time.

Takaba steps out of the shadows and glares at his lackeys. "Idiots... " he mutters.

Takaba turns to Asami and smiles, "Well, well, well! Asami Ryuichi ... we meet at last." He carefully studies Asami, who is dressed elegantly in a suit and tie. "Aren't you a little overdressed for a photojournalist?"

"I dress for success." Asami smirks as he checks out Takaba's clothing, which consists of an old military jacket, t-shirt, jeans with holes in them and a worn-out pair of Nikes. "I'm going guess you're an utter failure."

Takaba rolls his eyes, "Hahaha... so witty." He eyes Asami, suspiciously. "So, I was just wondering... who let you in on that little transaction between my club manager and that crooked politician?"

"Nobody," Asami says matter-of-factly. "I just happened to be passing by. What idiot arranges for a bribe to be taken out in the open?"

Takaba growls, "I'll ask you one more time... WHO tipped you off?!"

Asami gives Takaba an amused look, "Your mother."

Takaba turns red and nods to Kirishima who knees Asami HARD in the stomach. Asami bends over and lets out his breath, then stands back up and pats his stomach.

"Not bad... " Asami suddenly twists around and kicks Kirishima's knee. Kirishima goes down and Asami breaks away from Suoh. He runs toward a door at the end of the alley and escapes through it.

"Well?!" Takaba looks at his men, expectantly, "What are you waiting for? Go after him!"

Kirishima is sitting on the ground, painfully rubbing his knee. "I don't want to do that." Takaba turns to Suoh, who just shrugs.

"I'll give you a 2% raise," Takaba offers to Suoh.

"5%," Suoh counters.

Kirishima struggles to stand. "No... he'll do it for 10%."

Suoh offers Kirishima a hand and pulls him up. "Yeah! And 10% for him, too," Suoh crooks his thumb at Kirishima. "Or we don't budge."

Takaba glares at his two lackeys. "Fine! 10%... you crooks! Now GO GET HIM!" Both Kirishima and Suoh run after Asami.

Meanwhile, Asami discovers the doorway he went through only led to the roof. Now he's cornered like a rat on the roof.

"HA! Now you're cornered like a rat on the roof!" Suoh gloats.

Asami gives the men a calculating look. "How much money are we talking for you to let me walk?"

Kirishima shakes his head. "We know who your boss is. He doesn't pay you that much."

Asami glances over the edge of the building. "I suppose there's no helping it then..." He suddenly hurdles over the rail.

Shocked, Takaba and his lackeys run to the rail and peer over the edge. Asami is quickly climbing down a fire escape.

"Wow... a fire escape," Kirishima exclaims. "I didn't know that was there!"

Having reached the ground, Asami turns back around and winks at Takaba before vanishing into the shadows. Takaba is livid.

"This isn't over yet... Asami!"

**. . . . .**

The next morning, Asami is at the police station speaking to Detective Yamazaki in the detective's office. Yamazaki is backing away from Asami as Asami bears down on him. "It's very strange how first you give me a tip that not only turns out to be entirely useless, but then causes some punk kid and his goons to come after me in retaliation for it. Don't you think that's very strange... Yamazaki?"

"N-n-now Asami..." Yamazaki is now backed into a corner and cannot retreat further.

"Not to mention, some grime got on my suit from climbing down the fire escape, " Asami glares at him. "I'll be sending you the dry cleaning bill."

Yamazaki nods energetically, "Y-yes, of course."

"Well? You better have a VERY good explanation for all of this!"

Yamazaki sighs and then indicates that Asami should take a seat. "That 'punk kid and his goons' sounds like someone named 'Takaba'. He's a real bad apple... he's the leader of a large organization that specializes in smuggling guns and illegal drugs throughout all of Asia. You want to avoid him at all costs... he's considered VERY dangerous."

"You're joking... that KID an organized crime boss? Dangerous?! I seriously doubt it!"

"Well... it's actually his father who is the big, scary leader. Takaba acquired his present position by using 'daddy's influence'."

"That's sounds more believable." Asami grins devilishly, "Actually, he's kind of cute. I'd love to have the chance to bully him."

Yamazaki raises his eyebrows. "You know, Asami... sometimes you really scare me. Seriously though, don't go after him or else you might end up provoking 'daddy' and his gang instead." Yamazaki becomes lost in thought and mumbles to himself, "... and they might take you out..."

"What did you say?"

"Oh... nothing. By the way, I have another tip for you."

Asami cocks an eyebrow. "Does it have to do with Takaba again?"

Yamazaki laughs nervously. "Nooo... not at all!"

"What a pity. What do you have?"

"Some government officials- MARRIED government officials- are hosting a secret party tonight. I expect it will include all the usual unlawful and immoral things- drugs, prostitutes, and uhh... a couple of sheep. Interested?"

"How many of them are high-profile?" Asami asks.

"Sources tell me at least two."

"Sheep, eh? That's not very original. Still, there's a good chance someone will pay for those pictures. I'll take it."

Yamazaki breathes a sigh of relief and scribbles on a piece of paper. He hands it to Asami. "It will at a warehouse down at the pier, at midnight. Here's the address."

**. . . . .**

Later that evening at Takaba's penthouse, a freshly-showered Takaba sits cross-legged on the sofa, dressed in striped shorts and a t-shirt with "Everybody Loves an Asian Boy" printed across the front of it. He is thinking about Asami and his spectacular escape from his henchmen's clutches... the witty way Asami insulted him... his rather athletic descent down the fire escape... the way he winked at him before disappearing into the night. "NOBODY makes a fool out of me. Especially you, Asami! You'll see... "

**. . . . .**

At exactly midnight, sexy photojournalist Asami Ryuichi prepares to take some incriminating photos of corrupt politicians. He focuses his telephoto lens on a lone figure standing on the wharf and through his viewfinder he sees Takaba gazing back at him, looking rather smug.

"I see... so it IS Takaba after all. This is going to be fun... " This is the last thought that goes through Asami's mind before Suoh grabs him from behind and knocks him out.

Suoh places Asami into Takaba's limo. Takaba stares at the unconscious Asami with a sense of foreboding. "Why does he have a smile on his face?"

Suoh is also staring at Asami. "I know. Spooky, isn't it?"

**. . . . .**

When Asami comes to, he discovers he has been restrained by a rope with a series of weird knots tied haphazardly here and there. He sees Takaba standing over him, smirking. Beside Takaba is a large black leather case.

"I see you're finally awake Asami. Prepared to be TORTURED and HUMILIATED!"

"And how do you propose to do that?" Asami asks.

Takaba picks up the bag and shakes it. "I have in this bag, all kinds of interesting devices. Sexual ones! The mere SIGHT of them will strike terror in your heart!"

Asami eyes glitter with amusement. " 'Sexual ones'? Shouldn't you have undressed me before tying me up?"

Takaba smacks his forehead with his hand. "OH! I forgot to undress you! Well... I DID take take off your coat and tie."

Asami shakes his head. "You really don't have a clue what you're doing, do you?"

Takaba smirks, "What makes you say that... O prisoner of mine?"

"To begin with, you don't know how to properly tie a knot." Asami stands up and the rope falls off of him. "Here, let me show you... "

A minute later, Takaba is spread-eagle and naked on a table, expertly bound with the rope using a series of very intricate-looking knots. Takaba is shaking with rage. "This is NOT supposed to happen this way! C'mon... let me go!"

Asami ignores Takaba's demands and opens the black bag. "What do you have in here?" He holds up a large black vibrator and grins. "You're such a naughty boy!"

Takaba blushes. "That's not mine."

Asami rummages through the bag, "Hmm... there's A LOT of different vibrators in here. Let's see... cock ring, string of beads, nipple clamps... " He pulls out a clear hose, "Is this a urinary catheter? How shocking. Do your subordinates know you're into this kind of thing?"

"I'm not into ANYTHING AT ALL! None of it has ever been used! I got that stuff to torture and humiliate YOU!"

"Never been used, eh? It would be a shame not try it all out first... just to make sure everything works."

Five minutes later, the entire contents of the bag have been placed, inserted, buckled, clamped or glued (don't ask) onto Takaba. Asami stands back to admire his handiwork. "Aren't you a sight?" he sighs contentedly.

He picks up his camera and begins shooting pictures. "This one is going to be the background for my computer," He moves to a different angle, "and this one I think should be the screensaver for my phone." He aims the camera between Takaba's legs in a way that will also includes Takaba's face. "THIS ONE I'm going to make into a poster... to hang above my bed..."

**. . . . .**

Three days later, Asami returns to the pier to retrieve the rest of his camera equipment and spots Yamazaki speaking with some rough-looking men.

They finish talking and the rough-looking men leave. Asami approaches Yamazaki. "Yamazaki, what are you doing here?"

"ASAMI!" Yamazaki is startled by Asami's sudden appearance. "I-I'm glad to see you're all right! You've been missing for three days. I was beginning to get worried."

"I bet you're even MORE worried now that you see I'm still alive. I know you set me up, Yamazaki."

Yamazaki pulls out a gun and aims it shakily at Asami. "I should have known Takaba couldn't handle you! I guess I'll have to take you out myself... "

Suddenly, Takaba appears from out of nowhere and jumps in front of Asami. He aims a gun at Yamazaki, holding it sideways. "So... YOU'RE to blame for my humiliation!" He fires the gun three times at Yamazaki.

All three shots miss.

Yamazaki impulsively glances down at his body to confirm he wasn't hit. Asami quickly snatches the gun from Takaba and fires it once at Yamazaki. Yamazaki drops his gun and falls to his knees, holding his hand in pain. Takaba stares at Asami in amazement.

Asami explains, "You missed because you were holding the gun, 'gangster-style'. It may look cool, but you end up sacrificing accuracy." He places the gun in Takaba's hands and then tries to adjust Takaba's grip on it properly. "You need to aim it with the barrel up so you can line up the rear sight with the front sight, aligning both the horizontal and vertical planes... "

Takaba angrily shakes Asami off, "I know how to shoot a gun!"

**. . . . .**

Takaba sits on a seawall gazing at the rising sun. Detective Yamazaki is sitting in the back of a police car. Asami finishes giving his statement to the police and walks toward Takaba.

"You were right. I'm an utter failure," Takaba says, dejectedly.

"You're not a failure. Because of you, the gang that was trying to take down your father's organization is no longer a threat." Asami sits down next to Takaba. "And besides... you're really cute, and having sex with you was incredibly..."

"GAAAH!" Takaba interrupts. "Don't say it! And don't call me 'cute' either. I'm not cute!"

"I also think you're dangerous. VERY dangerous."

Takaba looks up at Asami. "You really think so?"

"Oh, yes. And I'll keep watching you through my viewfinder, " Asami ruffles Takaba's hair affectionately, "until one day I can manage to outwit this VERY... cunning... villain."

Takaba glares at Asami. "You're patronizing me, aren't you?"

Asami smirks, "You're a lot smarter than you look."

**. . . . .**

**. . **

* * *

_Next: Takaba pays Asami a visit_


	2. Chapter 2

~With sincere apologies to Yamane-sensei (who owns the rights to the Finder series)... and once again, also to Takaba-kun.

**. . **

**. . . . .**

Businessman and Crime Lordling Takaba Akihito is riding in his limo and staring wistfully out the window. "I wish I was going to beach today instead of some stuffy old office," he sighs. "My life is so boring, lately."

He is jolted out of his daydreaming by Kirishima suddenly slamming on the brakes, followed by the sound of a dull _THUMP!_

Takaba looks toward the front of the car and sees something large roll off the hood. "Did you just hit someone?!"

Kirishima is pale. "He just ran out right in front of the car...!"

"Oh, MAN...!" Takaba quickly gets out of the car hoping what he is about to see won't be too gross. A man dressed in a business suit is trying to stand up. "Are you all right?" Takaba asks the man, nervously. "Maybe you shouldn't move..." The man looks up and Takaba is greeted by two familiar piercing eyes. "ASAMI!"

Asami smirks at him, "Why, thank you! It's so kind of you to offer me a ride..." He darts past Takaba and slips into the limo.

Takaba is too bewildered to remember that his car just hit the man. "What the hell? Get OUT of my limo, you... you...!

Asami points to something behind Takaba. He turns around and sees two very scary-looking big men rushing toward them. Takaba jumps into the limo and screams, "DRIVE!" before even shutting the door. The limo peels off.

Takaba glares at Asami. "You've got some nerve! I'm not your personal taxi service, you know."

Asami takes a camera out of the case he was carrying and toys with it. "Where I need to go is not out of your way. It's just around the corner from your office."

"What the hell was THAT about anyway?"

Asami looks at the screen on his camera and smirks. "Good... you can see his face clearly in all the pictures."

Takaba kicks Asami's foot, "Hey, you! You're not even listening to me!"

Asami looks up. "What?"

"Why were those men chasing you?"

Asami glances out the rear window, "That? They're unhappy about the pictures I took of a Diet member on a very intimate date with his girlfriend. I can't imagine why. The pictures came out quite nice."

"Maybe because you were stalking him and invading his privacy? That's just creepy, you know. What do you plan to do with the photos? Add them to your perverted photo collection?" Takaba replies sarcastically.

"Not exactly." Asami looks at Takaba shrewdly, "Since the wife is the one paying me to take pictures of her cheating husband, I'll likely give her all the copies."

"Oh... I see," replies Takaba in a small voice. "I guess that makes it... kind of okay."

"Besides, you are the leading star of my perverted collection." Asami leers at Takaba, "I particularly like the picture where you're on your hands and knees looking at the camera with a pleading expression on your face. I titled it: 'Please Spank Me!' "

Asami quickly lifts up his camera, snaps a picture of Takaba, and then looks down at the screen. "Ah... 'Takaba, Enraged'." He looks up at Takaba, deviously, "You know, I have yet to get a picture of you smiling. Why do you suppose that is?"

"STOP THE CAR!" Takaba yells to Kirishima. The car comes to a sudden halt. Takaba turns to Asami, "Get out!"

Asami opens the door and steps out. He leans down, looks Takaba straight in the eyes and smiles, "It was good to see you again... Akihito."

Takaba angrily grabs the handle and slams door. "Drive!" he yells at Kirishima.

"Arrogant bastard," Takaba fumes. He looks down and notices a wallet on the floor of the limo. He picks it up and looks inside. It contains Asami's driver's license and about 2000 yen. "Hahaha...!" he gloats. "Somebody lost their wallet!"

**. . . . .**

Late that night, Takaba is staring contemplatively at the wallet on his desk. "2000 yen, huh? You don't seem to have a whole lot of money Asami. I bet you have scrounge for every crumb you can get." He picks up the wallet and tosses it in the air. "I might've returned it to you if you hadn't done all those awful things to me." Takaba catches the wallet and runs his fingers across the soft, smooth surface. "Too bad... this has a quality feel to it, too." He brings the wallet up to his nose and inhales the scent. It smells like a mixture of leather and smoke. "Ahhh... just the kind of smell I'd expect from you." He looks up and sees Kirishima standing in front of him with an odd look on his face.

"GAH!" Takaba drops the wallet. "Don't sneak up on me like that! What do you want?!"

"Uh... it's nearly 2 am, sir. Are you ready to leave?"

"Is it that late already?" He yawns, "Yeah, I'm ready." Takaba picks the wallet up from the floor and hands it to Kirishima. "After you drop me off, I need you to return this wallet to its owner. The address is on the driver's license."

Kirishima opens the wallet and studies the card. "This is completely out of my way. Hold on... this the same crazy person that ran out in front of the car this morning!" He closes the wallet and hands it back to Takaba. "Forget it. Just toss the wallet in the trash bin and be done with it."

"What if he really needs the money?"

"He kicked me in the knee a couple of weeks ago. I don't feel particularly obliged to do him any favors"

"I don't know..." Takaba scratches his head, thinking. "Maybe we should do the right thing and return the wallet to him anyway."

"Sir, I strongly advise you to avoid anymore contact with that man! However, if you're going to ignore my advice, then I want nothing to do with this. Get Suoh to do your bidding." Kirishima points to the large man snoring on the office couch. "I'm not quite sure what he does all day anyway, besides snooze on that couch."

"Well, along with being one of my bodyguards, he..." Takaba looks puzzled. "You know, I'm not sure what Suoh does all day either."

Kirishima walks over to the couch and kicks it. "Huh, wha...?" Suoh snorts, groggily.

"Wake up, Sleeping Beauty! You're driving the Boss."

"Oh, is it that time already?" Suoh perks up. "Wow! The time just flew by today, didn't it?"

Kirishima glares at Suoh before grabbing his briefcase and walking out the door.

Confused, Suoh turns to Takaba. "Is it just me, or does it seem like Kirishima is in a bad mood?"

**. . . . .**

The rain is pouring down when they arrive at the address on the ID card. Takaba looks anxiously out the window. "This is it?! It looks so... small..." He tries to hand the wallet to Suoh. "Okay, take this up to... "

Suoh quickly interrupts, "I don't think he'll appreciate one of the guys who tried beating him up, suddenly showing up on his doorstep at 3 am in the morning, sir."

Takaba huffs, "Fine! I'll take care of it. But if I'm not back in TWO minutes... COME GET ME!"

Takaba steps out into the pouring rain and quickly runs up to the door with the nameplate 'ASAMI' beside it. "Maybe I can somehow wedge the wallet in the door... ring the bell and then run back to the car before he... "

The door suddenly opens. "Come in, Takaba."

Asami is standing there dressed in nothing but pair of lounge pants. His usually gelled hair is loose and shaggy. Takaba is surprised at the different look.

_He doesn't look quite so intimidating like this._

He takes a deep breath, puts on an air of toughness and steps just inside the doorway. "I'm not here for a visit. I just thought you might be missing this." Takaba holds up the wallet.

Asami crosses his arms. "The rain is getting in. Do you mind stepping in a bit further?"

Takaba narrows his eyes at Asami. "Look... just take your wallet and I'll be on my way."

"Are you afraid of me?" Asami raises his eyebrows and smirks.

"Who... WHO WOULD BE?!" Takaba answers, angrily. He steps all the way in and Asami shuts the door.

He takes the wallet from Takaba, carelessly tosses it on a nearby table and then walks to the kitchen. "Is tea fine or would you like something stronger?"

"I... I'm not staying."

Asami reappears. "I promise I won't bite." He throws a towel at Takaba. "You're dripping on the floor."

"Oh... sorry."

_Suoh should be coming up any minute now._ _In the meantime, I wouldn't mind taking a good look around... it might give me insight on what kind of man Asami really is._

"Tea, please." He slips off his shoes and begins drying himself off. Asami turns to walk back to the kitchen but not before Takaba notices a dark shadow on Asami's side. "Nice looking bruise."

"What do you expect?" comes a voice from the kitchen. "You hit me with your limo."

"You're the one who ran out in front of it!" Takaba walks into the kitchen and sees Asami pouring the tea. Deciding to be purposely annoying, Takaba opens the refrigerator and peers in. He sees a few of bottles of wine but very little food. "Have you ever thought of spending your money on food instead of expensive wine?"

Asami closes the refrigerator door and hands Takaba a cup. "Because of the nature of my work, I mostly eat out." He takes a step toward Takaba but Takaba quickly turns away and begins to walk through the rest of the apartment.

He sees a door and opens it. There is a small collection of suits inside. "Whoa! I bet if you spent less on clothes and things like that pricey-looking wallet, you probably could afford a better place."

Asami gives Takaba an amused look. "I like nice things." He again steps toward Takaba but Takaba skips out of the way. He finds himself at the entrance to a small bedroom._  
_

He glances around and notices photographic prints scattered on a small desk. He puts his cup down and picks one up. "Ohhh... Shirahama Beach! I was just thinking about this place today. Did you take this?" He angles the picture a bit. "Everyone takes the same shot of this rock formation. You should climb up here... " he points to a place on the photo, "And shoot down toward the ocean."

Asami takes the picture from Takaba and studies it. "That's not a bad idea. You have a good eye for photography."

The unexpected praise warms Takaba, but he tries to nonchalantly brush it off. "Well my friends think I take good photos, so you're probably right."

Asami hands him another picture. "What do you think of the angle on this one?"

Takaba holds up the picture and gasps. It is a photo of him from his last encounter with Asami. He quickly tears it up.

Asami lifts an eyebrow, "That bad? You're right... I should reshoot it."

Takaba bolts towards the door. "I'm leaving now!"

Asami grabs him before he can get away, "So soon? After the gamble I took to get you here, the least you can do is to pose for me."

Takaba's eyes widen, "You left your wallet in my limo on purpose! I should have known... I can't believe I was that STUPID to try to return it to you!"

Takaba feels a warm hand slip under his shirt and soft lips brush up against his mouth, "It's because you're a nice kid. And I do like nice things..." Asami shoves Takaba down onto the bed.

**. . . . .**

A little while later, Takaba staggers back to the limo. He gets in and slams the door causing Suoh to jump. "WHERE the hell were you?! You fell asleep, didn't you?" He grumbles, "Some bodyguard YOU are!" He takes a closer look at Suoh and notices water dripping from his hair. "Why are you wet?"

"I went to check on you when it seemed like you were taking too long but... " Suoh has a guilty look on his face.

Takaba turns red. "Did... did you see Asami and me...?" Takaba hears a soft mewing sound. He leans forward and sees a wet kitten poke its head out from beneath Suoh's suit. "Don't tell me... you went chasing after a kitten?!"

"Well... of course!" Suoh gently pats the kitten on the head. "Unlike you sir, a kitten is helpless."

**. . . . .**

**. . **

* * *

_Next: Takaba gives Asami a call... or two... or three..._


	3. Chapter 3

~With sincere apologies to Yamane-sensei, who owns the rights to the Finder series... and to also Asami-san.

**. . **

**. . . . .**

One evening at around 9:30, businessman and part-time crime lord, Takaba Akihito left his office for the day. His assistant, Kirishima Kei, handed a folder to Takaba as he entered his limo. "Here's the report you asked for on Asami's movements."

Takaba settled into his seat and began reading as Kirishima started driving, "Let's see... yesterday, left his place at 7 am... had breakfast at the café around the corner from where he lives... arrived at Sunflower Daycare at 8 am... "

Takaba nearly dropped the folder. "REALLY? A daycare center? Why would Asami go there?!"

"It seems Asami took on a temporary job of taking pictures of the children for a brochure for the daycare center," Kirishima replied. "He stayed there until 5 pm."

"I can't picture him hanging out with a bunch of little kids all day," Takaba chuckled. "HA! I wonder who bullied who?" He read on, "At 6 pm, he met up with District Attorney, Kuroda Shinji. Hmm... now THAT'S interesting."

"They appear to be long-time acquaintances," Kirishima added. "Asami was hired to take surveillance photos of a city official suspected of being involved in criminal activities. He's been on a stake-out since 9 pm last night; however, in the past 24 hours the councilman has suspiciously been on his best behavior so they've called off the surveillance. Asami should be on his way back home right now, but they'll have him "on-call" in case the councilman tries to meet with questionable people again."

"He's seems to be a regular person, trying to earn a regular paycheck. I sure would like to know more about his connection with the DA," Takaba frowned, "but as long as Asami is not bothering me, I don't see a reason to keep watching him."

"Yes, sir."

Kirishima drove for a bit before speaking again. "36 hours without sleep... it seems he's had a rough time of it lately."

Surprised, Takaba leaned forward to look over the seat at Kirishima, "When did you start feeling sorry for him? As I recall, you REALLY don't like him."

"I don't! I think eventually he's going to be a problem for us, but I have to admit I am beginning to admire him a bit. He's a hard-working, clever man."

Takaba sat back and pulled a can of beer out of the limo's refrigerator. "He's not as clever as you think."

"He has to be exhausted by now. I imagine he'll sleep for a long time so you shouldn't have anything to worry about."

"Who said I was worried?!" Takaba said annoyed. He popped the top on the can and took a long drink. "On-call, huh? Well, I hope his phone rings as soon as his head hits the pillow!"

**. . . . .**

Takaba arrived at small restaurant and joined several of his friends who were having a private party. Takaba was already drunk. His friend, Kou, was slightly drunker. Another friend, Takato, was only slightly buzzed and still capable of rational thought, but was doing his best to catch up to his two friends.

Takaba took another gulp from his mug of beer, "So THEN, my assistant starts complaining 'I've already worked 16 hours today. Are you really going to ask me to wait for you while you go drinking?', which is kind of strange because not too long ago he was complaining about NOT having enough to do. I mean, make up your mind already!" Takaba took another drink. "Sooo anyway... I thought I would be nice and let him go home for the night and THAT'S why I need to crash at your place, Kou."

"Ha! It sounds like your assistant just likes to complain," Kou laughed as he reached for his mug. "Sure... you are always welcome at my place."

"He used to work for my father, you know. I wonder if he complained that much then, too?"

"What does your father do again?" Takato asked him.

"Oh, he imports... stuff." Takaba replied, cautiously.

Takato looked at him, thoughtfully. "What kind of 'stuff'?"

"Oh... you know, stuff like... " Takaba looked around, "like those decorations over there!"

Takato looked at the wall. "Those are Japanese decorations."

"Yeah, but they're all made in Taiwan!" Takaba smirked.

Kou spotted Takaba's phone on the table and picked it up. "Ooh! The new iPhone! Can I play with it?"

Takaba shrugged, "Sure, if you can guess the passcode."

Kou squinted at the phone and began tapping on it, "Let's see... 1234... no... your penthouse number... 2110... not it... your birthday maybe? 5 May and the year was... nope. Crap!"

Takaba wagged his finger at Kou. "One more miss and you'll lock it up."

Takato downed the last of his drink. "Try 8055."

Kou tapped the phone. "Ah... THAT worked!"

Takaba looked at Takato suspiciously, "How do you know my passcode?"

"8055 looks like the word, 'BOSS'," Takato grinned. "You seem to like it when your assistant calls you that."

"A rich boy like our Takaba has gotta have SO many girlfriends waiting in line for him... I'm gonna steal one!" Kou tapped on the screen. "I'll take this first one on the list."

Takato nudged Takaba. "He's actually calling somebody."

Takaba took another drink from his mug. "Let him. He'll be flirting with my grandmother."

"Hello there! This is Kou. Am I speaking to Asami-chan?"

Takaba choked. He grabbed the phone and squeaked in a high voice, "Sorry! Wrong number!" and then hung up.

Kou looked at Takaba, surprised. "Wow, Asami-chan has a very hoarse voice! She must have a terrible cold."

"You idiot!" Takaba punched Kou on the arm. "You could've gotten me into SO MUCH trouble! That was a BAD person to mess with! Seriously evil!"

"And you have an evil person on your contacts list because... ?" Takato said.

"Because," he looked at Takato shifty-eyed and lowered his voice, "... you never know... "

Takato stared at him, baffled, "You never know... ?!"

"And now you're in trouble because of me!" Kou said remorsefully. "I'm pretty sure I woke them up. Whoever that was sounded REALLY tired!"

"Ohh?" Takaba said with a devious glint in his eyes, "Did they now... ?"

**. . . . .**

Asami Ryuichi stirred in his bed at the sound of a phone ringing. He opened his eyes and realized the phone was already resting in his hand.

He pressed the talk button and put the phone to his ear, "Yes?" He shook his head, trying to come awake. "What is it?"

He heard Takaba on the other end, trying not to sound like Takaba. _"Hello, is this Asami Ryuichi?" _

Asami sighed sleepily, "Yes."

_"This is See Maanki." _

Asami blinked in confusion, "Sea monkey?" He glanced at the clock and noticed he had been asleep for 7 minutes since the phone last rang. "What do you want, Takaba?"

_"No, no, no! Who is Takaba? I already told you, this is SEE MAANKI." _

Asami closed his eyes. "You do realize your name comes up on the caller ID... don't you Takaba?"

There was an awkward silence. All Asami could hear was the background sounds of some public place.

_Click. _

The caller hung up.

**. . . . .**

Takaba banged his head repeatedly on the table. "NOOOO! I forgot about the caller ID! Whose great idea was THAT?"

"Hashimoto Kazuo," Takato replied. "He invented the caller ID... thing." Both Takaba and Kou gaped at him. Takato looked back at them blankly, "What...?"

"You wanna block the caller ID?" Kou said as he put his arm around Takaba and smiled, "I know way to do that."

Takaba enthusiastically nodded his head.

Takato looked pained. "Don't encourage this."

**. . . . .**

Ten minutes later, Asami's phone rang. The small screen on the phone read, "Caller ID: Unavailable"

Asami pressed the talk button and then closed his eyes again. "Asami speaking."

_"This is Kuroda... I apologize for waking you up. We just received word from our informant that the councilman is going to attempt to meet up with that Yakuza group again sometime in the next few hours. Right now, we are waiting to hear back for the time and place. Once we get that information, I'll call you and let you know where to meet us."_

Asami stifled a yawn. "That's fine with me."

_"I'm really sorry about this, Ryuichi. I know you've been up for the past 36 hours. In the meantime, try to get some sleep."_

**. . . . .**

Fifteen minutes later, the phone rang again. Asami looked at the screen. Caller ID: Unavailable.

Asami pressed the talk button. "Asami speaking."

A low raspy voice came from the phone. _"This is Yuu Suk, your boss. You overslept and missed work so... YOU'RE FIRED!"_

Asami frowned, and hung up. Five minutes later the phone rang again. Caller ID: Unavailable.

Asami eyed the phone suspiciously before answering. "Asami, speaking."

_"This is Aap Yors, your landlord. You owe me money. LOTS of money! And you play your music too loud..." _

Asami hung up. Three minutes later, the phone was ringing again.

_"This is Penguin Paradise. We regret to inform you that the penguin you ordered..."_

Asami hung up. The phone immediately began ringing in his hand.

**. . . . .**

After nearly 20 more calls requiring Asami to hit the "end call" button as soon as he heard Takaba's voice, the calls finally stopped. Now fully awake, Asami got up and took a shower. Partway through his shower, he heard the phone ringing. He turned off the water, quickly grabbed a towel and picked up the phone. "Asami, speaking."

_"This is Dr. Quack, your uhh... doctor. Congratulations! You're 152 weeks pregnant!" _

"That is enough, Takaba!" Asami replied, irritated. "I'm waiting for a very important phone call."

_"Oh yeah? Well, isn't that... TOO BAD! This is payback for all those terrible things you did to me! How do you like it so far? Huh? Are you getting any sleep?"!_

Feeling a headache coming on, Asami pinched his eyes shut. "I see... so serial prank-calling me is your way of getting revenge. Isn't that a little immature, even for you?"

_"All I want... ALL I want... uh... what did I want... ?" _

Asami prompted him impatiently, "Yes...?"

_"Don't hang up on me anymore."_ The voice hitched and began to sound teary, _"I really, really, REALLY don't like it when you hang up on me!"_

Asami replied gently, "All right, I won't hang... "

_"MUWHAHAHAHAHA!" _

_Click._

**. . . . .**

Asami was fully dressed and trying to read the newspaper, but he couldn't concentrate. He lowered the paper, leaned back, closed his eyes, and drifted off to sleep. The phone rang, jarring Asami awake. He pressed the talk button.

_ "Because__ I'm BAAAD, I'm bad... YOU KNOW IT... "_ sang a high voice, slightly off-key.

"Where are you calling from, you little piss-ant?!" Asami growled into the phone.

Takaba imitated Asami's deep growl, _" 'Where you are calling from?' Hahaha! I'm not so much of an idiot to tell you THAT! But I will give you a hint: I'm... SOMEWHERE IN TOKYO! Come and find me if you can, you bastard... HAHAHAHA!"_

_ Click. _

The doorbell rang.

Wearily, Asami went to the door and opened it. Kuroda was standing there. He grinned at him, "Oh you're good, you're up!"

Kuroda stepped inside. "I came by to let you know that our informant suddenly stopped cooperating with us, so the investigation is on hold for now." He handed Asami an envelope. "Anyway, here's a check to compensate you for the work you did do for us. I'm sorry, it's not much. They've really been brutal with the budget cuts; however, I am indebted to you. If there's ANYTHING I can do for you... "

The phone rang.

Asami glared at it. "Can you trace the location of that caller for me?"

Kuroda nodded and slowly smiled. "I can do that."

**. . . . .**

Takaba woke up in his bed. His head was throbbing and his ears were ringing. The ringing sound seemed to be getting louder. He realized it was his phone and it was already in his hand. He glanced at the phone. Caller ID: Unavailable.

Takaba swiped the screen with his thumb, "Hel-... hello?" he answered groggily.

_"Hello Sea Monkey... this is Asami. Are you getting any sleep?"_

"Ehhh?" Takaba replied confused. The memories of the night before came flooding back to him. He began laughing even though it hurt his head. "Hahaha... good one, Asami!" Takaba moaned, "Ohhh... I was really drunk last night. Serves you right, though. Did you ever manage to get any sleep?"

"None whatsoever," came a voice from inside his room.

Takaba looked up and saw Asami standing at the entrance to his bedroom, holding a cell phone to his ear. He heard a beep as Asami pressed a button to end the call. Takaba tried to get up but for some reason he couldn't move his legs or left arm. He realized he was tied to the bed.

He also realized he was lying there naked.

Asami walked over to the bed and grabbed Takaba's right wrist. He removed the phone from Takaba's hand before clicking his wrist into a handcuff connected to a rope that was secured to the bed. Asami slipped off his tie and began to unbutton his shirt while glaring at Takaba, threateningly.

Takaba stammered nervously, "W-wait, Asami... let's try to be mature about this... "

Asami collapsed onto the bed next to Takaba. He stretched out on the bed, and then closed his eyes and smiled, "The more sleep I get, the less harsh your punishment will be when I wake up."

Takaba breathed a sigh of relief and began to think of a way to escape once Asami fell asleep, but he was distracted by a sudden spasm in his bladder.

"Umm... Asami?" he whispered softly. He was answered by a soft snore.

Takaba took a deep breath. "Yeah... I can hold it..."

**. . . . .**

**. . **

* * *

_How long do you think Asami slept before Takaba was forced to wake him up? ;)_

_Next: Takaba disappears; Asami gets a surprise visit from two VERY unhappy bodyguards._


	4. Chapter 4

~With sincere apologies to Yamane-sensei (who owns the rights to the Finder series)... and also to any readers who were suckered into reading this far.

**. . **

**. . . . .**

The waiters made their way through a crowd of The Elite, formally dressed for the occasion, yet subtly flaunting their riches in any way possible... a large emerald ring here, a diamond cufflink there. All the women were sporting precious stones in some form of jewelry. The men were wearing gold chains and expensive watches. Even one of the champagne servers was wearing an expensive looking watch.

This particular waiter meandered through the chandelier-lit reception room. Unlike the other servers in the room who were flitting from one group to another offering crystal flutes of champagne, this one had guests approaching him... mostly women.

From across the room, a younger man stood fidgeting uncomfortably. He was in a bad mood for three reasons; the least of all was because of the tux he had been forced to wear. He had wanted to wear something a little more flashy and less heavy, but he'd been unwillingly dressed instead in a boring, standard tux. His request for "no tails" on the suit, as he felt they emphasized his short stature, had been ignored.

The second reason for his bad mood was because he had been forced to attend this boring fund-raiser for a local politician. The invitation had actually been for his father, but of course his father didn't want to go either, so he sent his son as his replacement. Now he was surrounded by people looking for favors from his father. It was easy enough to pretend to listen, nod, and accept their business cards, "Yes, I will have my father's people get back to you on this..." but it was really tedious. He really couldn't blame his father THAT MUCH for wanting to avoid it.

The third, and main reason for his bad mood was standing in the middle of the room flocked by a group of older women, who were taking glasses from an offered tray and demurely batting their eyes at the handsome man in the waiter's uniform. The waiter briefly glanced his way and gave him a mocking smile.

Takaba bristled at the glance. "Asami..."

Takaba decided to become suddenly unwell so he would have an excuse to make an early exit. He approached the politician who was hosting the affair. To his surprise, the man looked up and interrupted his conversation with a local businessman.

"Takaba-san!" the politician called out to him enthusiastically. He bowed, "I am honored that is it you who is attending this function in your father's place. I have heard that you recently acquired a rather nice little beach hotel..." Delighted that the politician seemed more interested in one of his own pet projects rather than his father, Takaba quickly forgot that he was about to make the necessary excuses for leaving, and eagerly began to tell the man about his plans for the new resort.

Within a few minutes though, he realized he had somehow lost control of the conversation. Before he knew it, the man was shaking his hand and saying to him, "I am pleased you will see to it that your father will personally attend to this very important matter for me."

"Yes... of course," Takaba replied, with the vague idea that he had just been played as if he were a marionette. The politician moved on to make pleasantries with yet another young businessman.

"I find it amusing how easily you are manipulated... Takaba." Takaba whipped around and found himself facing the handsome waiter. Asami extended a tray toward him, "Champagne?"

"What are you doing here?!"

Asami tugged on his sleeve, revealing a hidden camera. "I'm getting a few snapshots of our esteemed host in action."

Takaba sucked in his breath. "I could have you thrown out for that! They'll also confiscate your precious camera, too."

"It would be a pain to lose my camera. You know all those nice pictures I took of you? They're still on the card."

Takaba rolled his eyes. "That threat is getting old. You're bluffing."

"Am I? Here, let me show you." Asami shifted his hold on the tray so he could unbutton his sleeve.

"NO! Keep that damn thing hidden!" Takaba hissed. He then let out a sigh, "I guess I can't begrudge you for trying to make a living. Just don't take any pictures of me."

"I've already taken twenty. You look... " Asami quickly eyed Takaba from head to toe, "... interesting in a tux. You might want to forgo the tails next time. They make you look shorter."

Takaba audibly growled, which caused Asami to chuckle. Takaba gave Asami a taunting look. "I think you look... " he looked Asami up and down, "... interesting in a waiter's uniform. You might want to forgo the apron next time. It makes you look like a common house servant." Takaba frowned, "Except for that watch. Is that a Rolex? What is that, about a year's worth of rent money for someone like you? You must be deep in debt."

Asami narrowed his eyes at Takaba. "Don't play naive with me, Akihito. You must have figured out by now that I have another source of income. Why don't you come right out and ask me what it is you really want to know?"

"REALLY?" Takaba responded, genuinely surprised. "I wouldn't know where to start! Okay, first question: Why are you...?"

"ASAMI!" The hotel manager stepped between Takaba and Asami. "I don't pay you to chat with the guests. If you are that idle, then you can go take out the trash in the kitchen!"

Takaba smirked as the manager led Asami away.

"Ah, DAMN IT!" Takaba stamped his foot. "And just when I was about to get some answers!"

**. . . . .**

The next evening, Asami was studying some photographs when he heard his doorbell ring. Looking through the peephole, he recognized Takaba's irate assistant standing outside his door. "Could be worse," he mumbled.

When he opened the door, Suoh suddenly appeared. He walked into the apartment and roughly pushed Asami up against the nearest wall. Kirishima then entered and walked past Asami. He glanced into the kitchen and then headed back toward the bedroom.

Asami frowned, "Please... come in."

Kirishima reappeared. "He's not here."

"You were expecting to find Takaba here? You must know something I don't know," Asami said, giving them a sly smile.

"Where is he?!" Kirishima growled.

Asami lifted an eyebrow. "You truly don't know?" He glared angrily at Suoh, who was still holding him against the wall with one hand. "Do you mind?" Kirishima nodded and Suoh released Asami. "How long has he been missing?"

"Since 9 o'clock this morning. That was the last time anyone was in contact with him." Kirishima narrowed his eyes at Asami, "You know something..."

Asami nodded. "There was a man waiting outside at last night's political fundraiser. He was attempting to pass on an envelope containing a computer disk to Takaba... to 'Elder' Takaba actually, but of course he wasn't there. The man was jumped by two knife-wielding foreigners. I managed to stop the attack before they were able to take the envelope from him. They must believe Akihito is in possession of the disk now."

"Who are 'they'?" Kirishima asked.

"One of the Hong Kong triads," Asami replied. "My guess would be, the Baishe."

Kirishima turned to Suoh. "We need to find that man and question him immediately."

"You won't get any information out of him," Asami said.

"Suoh is rather talented at extracting information from unwilling people... aren't you Suoh?"

Suoh grinned. "It's a natural-born talent."

"I don't doubt it," Asami replied. "But I think even you would find it difficult to extract information from a dead body. The man died from the wounds he received during the attack; however, he gave me enough information before he died that I could probably locate their hideout."

"And where would that be?"

"What... and let you get all the love from Takaba when he's rescued?" Asami smirked. "I don't think so."

"Suoh... why don't you give Asami a demonstration of your particular talent?"

Suoh took a menacing step toward Asami.

Asami took a small step back out of reflex.

"This is not a game," Kirishima said seriously to Asami.

"And that's precisely why there should be only one person sneaking in to rescue him instead of a large group of men storming their hideout. Let me go in and take care of this quietly for you. You'll be able to avoid a potential gang war."

"And why do you think we would trust you?"

Asami smiled. "I have, what you might call, a small side job... "

**. . . . .**

Kirishima hung up the phone. "Well, it's verified. He's telling the truth." Kirishima shook his head, "I would have never guessed..."

"Do we have a truce then?" Asami asked.

"You do realize what you've told me makes me even more suspicious of your motives, but still... ", Kirishima mulled it over carefully. "No... I don't think so. You're a little too clever for your own good. You've been nothing but trouble for us. For instance, that little ploy of yours with your wallet... "

Asami raised his eyebrows, "I've been trouble? You hit me with your limo."

"It couldn't be helped," Kirishima smirked. "You ran out in front of it. And I haven't forgotten about you kicking my knee. It STILL hurts."

"That was after the two of you jumped me. You kicked me in the stomach," Asami nodded his head toward Suoh, "and this one over here knocked me out."

Kirishima looked at Asami, doubtfully.

Asami went over to a bookcase and pulled out a book. He opened it and removed a disk hidden within the pages. "Here..." Asami handed the disk to Kirishima. "Make sure this gets to Elder Takaba safely... though it might be for the best if you didn't mention my name."

"I agree, that wouldn't be wise." Kirishima took the disk and sighed, "All right, truce... but just for today. We'll provide you with whatever you need, though I don't understand why someone like you would need us to do that."

"And I don't understand how two, highly-trained bodyguards could easily lose sight of their boss," Asami retorted.

"It's easy when the boss makes it a game to lose his bodyguards. You think it's easy to keep track of Takaba? Maybe we should put you in charge of watching him. I can't think of anyone he'd be safer with."

Asami chuckled, "Yes, let the cat watch the mouse. What a brilliant idea."

Kirishima chuckled along with Asami. "It is when the cat has an unusual attraction to the mouse... don't you think?"

Asami's chuckling ended abruptly with an awkward cough.

As they were walking out the door to leave, Kirishima staggered and grabbed his knee in pain. "Why couldn't you kick Suoh's knee?" he grumbled.

Asami raised an eyebrow at Kirishima, "Do you really need me to answer that?" They both looked at the very large man.

Kirishima nodded, "I get your point."

**. . . . .**

Asami moved stealthily down the dimly lit corridor. He turned a corner and...

The cell was empty.

Instead, there was a guard lying unconscious near the entrance of the open cell. Puzzled, Asami passed by the cell and turned the corner to go down another hallway. He surprised Takaba, who was naked and searching through a trash bin. "Oh! It's you Asami..."

Asami looked at Takaba, puzzled. "How did you... ?"

"I asked the guard if he was interested in getting a blow job. I knew that horny goon would be ALL over that, so of course he opened the cell door. I also knew if he tried to lower his pants, it would put him off-balance. So when he dropped his trousers I pushed him over, knocked him out, and then took his keys..." Takaba held up a set of keys and jingled them, "and then unlocked my manacles and... here I am! I can't seem to find my clothes though."

Asami frowned. "Don't ever do that again." He took off his blazer and draped it over Takaba before roughly grabbing Takaba's chin and looking at him directly in the eyes, "I mean it."

Takaba glared back at him.

Asami let go of him and turned to look around. "We need to get you out of here quickly."

Takaba grabbed Asami's arm and pulled him down the hallway. "I know a way out... follow me!" They walked for bit and then Takaba stopped Asami and whispered, "There's a couple of guards around this corner... this is what we'll do. I'll run out there, bend over and wiggle my butt at them. While they're distracted, YOU come up behind them and... " Asami growled and grabbed Takaba. He picked him up and threw him over his shoulder.

"HEY!" Takaba whispered furiously. "What are you doing?!"

Asami carried him around the corner where they saw two guards lying on the ground. Takaba gasped, "You killed them!"

"No, no... they're just napping."

Takaba glanced at a puddle of blood beneath one of them. "Look, I know a dead guy when I see one, and that's DEFINITELY a dead guy!"

"He's not dead. He's taking a nap." Asami kicked the body with his foot, "See? He just moved."

"That was YOU kicking him!"

"Shh..." he said as smacked Takaba's behind playfully, "you're being too noisy."

Asami found the door that led out and exited through it. Once outside, Takaba raised his voice. "I ORDER YOU to put me down NOW!" he demanded. Asami put him down and Takaba began to walk away in a huff.

"Where do you think you're going, naked-boy?" Asami smirked.

"Home!" Takaba turned around to yell at him. "On my own! I had everything under control until YOU butted in, you... YOU KILLER! I don't need YOUR help! I don't need my FATHER'S help... I don't need ANYBODY'S help!"

Suddenly, Takaba heard the unmistakable high-pitched whine of bullets zooming past him. Bullet holes appeared in the empty sleeves of Asami's blazer that Takaba had draped over him. He looked up and saw Fei Long standing on a balcony, holding a gun sideways and pointing it directly at him.

Takaba jumped behind Asami and clutched onto him, using him as a shield. "Help?" he whimpered in a small voice.

Asami quickly pulled out a gun and aimed it at Fei Long. "FEI LONG!" he yelled angrily.

Fei Long looked completely shocked. "ASAMI?!"

Fei Long lowered his gun and slowly smiled, "I always knew I'd run into you again someday, Asami. You left rather suddenly last time... without the courtesy of at least saying 'goodbye'. And now you're with this one, are you? We'll see about that!" A look of anger flashed on Fei Long's face before he turned and walked back into the building.

Takaba stared up at the empty balcony and shouted, "Hey, Fei Long... you know why you missed?! IT'S BECAUSE YOU'RE HOLDING YOUR GUN 'GANGSTER STYLE', YOU IDIOT!"

"He meant to miss." Asami lowered his gun and looked down at Takaba's hands, which were clutching him tightly around his waist. "Of course. NOW you like me."

Takaba blushed and quickly released his hold on Asami. "You know Fei Long?!"

Asami angrily glanced back at the balcony. "Unfortunately."

"So you and Fei Long... were you two once... you know, like... together?"

Asami turned and glared at Takaba. "What kind of question is that?!"

"Oooh! Is that a touchy subject for you?" Takaba grinned gleefully.

"The last thing I want to do right now is talk about Fei Long. Surely you can find a more interesting question to ask?"

"Not anymore!" Takaba's eyes glittered excitedly. "How... when... ?"

Asami sighed deeply, "I met him 7 years ago."

"And... ?" Takaba prompted him expectantly.

"And... let's just say it didn't end well."

"... AND?!"

Asami replied irritated, "AND... I refuse to answer any more questions about it."

Takaba pouted briefly before spying the gun in Asami's hand. "Where did you get the gun?"

Asami looked at the gun in his hand, "This? I borrowed it. It's one of yours."

"You know you can be arrested just for holding one of those."

"I do have a firearms license. However..." Asami flipped the safety into place on the gun, "it's probably not wise to be caught with this out in public." He slipped the gun into his pocket.

Takaba looked flabbergasted. "You have a license?! No way! How did you get a license?"

"You want to know more about me?" Asami smirked at Takaba mischievously, "Invite me back to your place and you might learn a few things."

"HA... I don't think so!" Takaba scowled at him.

Asami gazed at Takaba appreciatively. "You know... you look quite fetching standing there bare-bottomed in my blazer." Asami hoisted Takaba up and threw him back over his shoulder again. "Right! My place it is, then!" He carried Takaba enthusiastically toward a black vehicle.

"By the way, I also borrowed your car..."

**. . . . .**

**. .**

* * *

_Next: The Wrath of Fei Long  
_

__The Viewfinder Series are the property of Yamane Ayano and Digital Manga Publishing. I claim exemption under the US Copyright "Fair Use" rule (Use in Parody) [17 U.S.C. § 107]__


End file.
